Health insurance options for the self-employed
By the Covered Nationwide team of licensed agents · Updated July 2026
No employer means no employer contribution, no HR portal, and a premium that lands entirely on one desk. These are the actual routes, including the ones Covered Nationwide doesn't sell.
See if it's a fitTakes about a minute · No spam · One licensed agent, start to finish
Route one: a spouse's employer plan
When a household has one W-2 job with benefits, that plan is worth pricing, with one catch most people learn the hard way: employers typically pay a share of the employee's own premium and little or nothing toward a spouse and kids. The employee-only rate looks great. The family rate on the same plan often doesn't. Get the real family number before assuming this route wins.
Route two: the subsidized system
When household income qualifies for a real subsidy, subsidized major medical is usually the right tool, and it's the clear answer for anyone managing a major ongoing condition. The catch for a lot of the self-employed: a good year of income shrinks the subsidy toward zero, and the full sticker price is what's left. There's a separate guide on that cliff.
Route three: COBRA, for a while
Anyone who just left a W-2 job can usually keep the old plan through COBRA for up to 18 months, paying the full premium plus up to a 2% administrative fee. Familiar coverage, startling price, hard deadline. The COBRA guide covers what happens when it ends or stops making sense.
Route four: private, individually underwritten plans
This is the route Covered Nationwide works. Plans sold outside the subsidy system, priced on the applicant's own health, built around a true nationwide PPO, and open to applications any month of the year. Most are fixed indemnity designs that pay set, known dollar amounts for covered events, a simpler structure than the deductible model. For generally healthy people paying full price, the math often lands lower, and the agent puts it in writing either way.
- Pricing reflects the applicant, not a market average
- Nationwide PPO, useful for work that crosses county and state lines
- Start any month, no window
- Not for subsidy-qualifying incomes or major ongoing conditions
Rules and plan availability differ by state. Covered Nationwide is licensed in 31 of them; the state pages cover how the private route works in each.
How to actually decide
Price two routes, not one. Get the subsidized number for the household, then get the private number in writing from a licensed agent. Twenty minutes total, and the decision usually makes itself. An honest agent will tell anyone which number wins.
Straight answers
Which option is cheapest for the self-employed?
It depends on household income and health. Subsidy-qualifying households usually do best in the subsidized system. Generally healthy people paying full price often find the private underwritten route lands lower. Pricing both takes about twenty minutes.
Do private plans work across state lines?
The plans Covered Nationwide agents offer are built around a true nationwide PPO, so the network travels. The agent checks specific doctors and hospitals against it before enrollment.
What does talking to an agent cost?
Nothing, and there's no obligation. One licensed agent reviews the answers, prices real options for the state, and puts them in writing. If another route fits better, the agent says so.
About a minute of questions. One licensed agent. A straight answer.
See if it's a fitNo spam. Your information never gets sold.
By state
The list of real options narrows quickly once a state is named. These pages cover the markets where the team fields the most questions.